Turns out that the drug is one commonly used by steroid users when they are coming down off of their steroid cycle. So it looks like he was juicing and then came off it.
It's too bad that the Diamondbacks are really, really sucking right now. Hopefully the Giants will be able to mount some sort of challenge, but I'm not holding my breath.
So this is my fantasy rotation right now: Justin Verlander Zack Greinke Chad Billingsley I have a fourth spot open, and I'm wondering who I should pick: Daisuke Matsuzaka (who I can get dirt cheap, because of his poor outings and injury) Jered Weaver (again, cheap) Wandy Rodriquez (I think the Astros are underperforming in a competitive league, and might not support him) I might replace Billingsley too, his next outing is against the Metropolitans.
I haven't looked in a week or so but I'd go with Weaver unless something has changed. if you have the ability to reserve a player, picking up DiceK as a hedge against a future return to form would be cool, but Weaver is the guy doing it now.
I'm playing Billingsley against the Mets, personally. I'm also playing Wandy Rodriguez, though I have the same concern about the team behind him.
DiceK's supposed to return Friday, so that's why I was thinking of picking him up when my rotation clears. But yeah, Weaver's my leading candidate. Originally, I was considering Armando Galaragga, but I just watched him implode. I think he's injured and they haven't diagnosed it yet.
This is how I'm predicting the season to turn out. AL East - Toronto AL Central - Detroit AL West - Texas Wild Card: Red Sox, Yankees NL East: Philadelphia NL Central: Milwaukee NL West: Los Angeles (no contest here) Wild Card: New York, but Chicago will make a strong case.
I'm becoming a believer in the Rangers mainly because their division seems so winnable. I think the Red Sox are clearly ahead of the Yanks in terms of potential though. I have no clue about the NL wild card, ad I'm pretty skeptical that the Brewers have the pitching to win the division. i don't see how the Cubs or Cards don't eventually win out there. Still, if the Dodgers are not in the Series it will be a stunner. Thing if, if Tor/Bos/Det/Tex is the AL playoff set, it will be a very fascinating post-season because usually the deepest starting staff has an advantage but all of those teams have some uncertainty in that area.
The Braves just drive me nuts, they have great starting pitching and a great closing duo but their offense just blows. So many great performances from Lowe, Vazquez and Jurrjens have and will go to waste this year.
^^ The Canadian Express is blowing into town next week brotha! By the way, who's the other Sox fan around here (besides my buddy Hawk)...actormike, is it not? I cast a "nanny nanny boo boo" in your general direction!
Well, I picked the Brewers, because the Cubs and the Cardinals are mangled up and falling games behind. That said, anything can happen, and if anyone will take the lead, it's most likely Chicago. As for the AL, I like to think that Detroit's got a solid rotation in the works. Unfortunately, Oakland and Cleveland did pad their stats a little, but I think it's giving them the confidence they need. This is Major League Baseball afterall, and even the Nationals can beat the Mets once in a while. -Verlander is back to his old form, and currently leads the majors in strike outs. -Armando Galarraga might be injured, but if he isn't hopefully he can get himself together either here or in Toledo. -Dontrelle Willis is a huge question mark. The only good thing I can say about him, is that Jim Leyland is playing for his job, and won't think twice about putting him in the bullpen. That said, he was a pretty good pitcher once. -Edwin Jackson has been a pleasant surprise. He's something of a hidden pitcher, but his numbers don't lie; he's a league leader in ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. -Rick Porcello, the pitching phenom wunderkind, is starting to figure out the majors. The only question is, how long until they figure him out? -Jeremy Bonderman is due back in a month or so, and hopefully he'll return to form as well, and return the the reliable work horse he once was for the club. In the bullpen, we've got scrapy Zach Miner and Nate Robertson, who both have something to prove (don't most LRPs?). They occasionally flash starter like numbers. MRP isn't too bad; Bobby Seay comes to mind as the leader of this group, and he's been pretty good this year. Ryan Perry's testing his stuff, and an unknown pitcher can always wreck havoc on a lineup. I think the Tigers got hosed on Brandon Lyon, but he did a good job in Minnesota before getting fatigued and giving up a grand slam. Joel Zumaya's back, and I won't lie when I say I think he has potential to be one of the league's elite closers. Until that happens, they've promoted Fernando Rodney into Todd Jones' old beleaguered spot. Thankfully, "Jitters" (as I call him) has turned himself around this year. On the hitting side, the most remarkable thing has happened: the veterans, the expected leaders have either been injured or silent (though Magglio is warming up), but the offense has just exploded. Gone are the slow, ponderous sluggers who would aim for the bleachers and trot to first base. Here are the speedsters, the young and the quick, like Josh Anderson, who's been my favorite new Tiger yet. I love small ball. I think it speaks volumes when a club can manufacture runs and still hit for the stands. There isn't a single weak spot in our line-up right now, and that's with weak hitter Adam Everett, who's been on fire for now. Even still, you have backups and position players who otherwise wouldn't start if everyone was 100%, like Ryan Raburn or Ramon Santiago who are hitting wonderfully every at bat they get. This is what I expected in 2005, when I saw Pudge Rodriguez and all the other veterans of that 2006 run first walk into Comerica Park and start to form together and teach the then rookies Curtis Granderson and Justin Verlander how to play the game. Now those same men have to teach their new teammates how it's done in Detroit. But anything can happen. People can spontaneously explode in the field; we could lose the whole team to a freak Wonkavision accident. I expect some mid-season trades free up salary space and look for a journeyman to help fill out whatever weak spots exist by then.
Padres traded Peavy to the White Sox. There's a few more W's robbed from my Tigers, but I've found someone to replace Billingsley in my rotation.
I'm elated. But the Padres are going to trade him one way or the other, if he doesn't want to go anywhere, they can sell the rest of the team and bring up people from AA. I bet he'd be really happy about that. Or not, he does pitch for San Diego.
Peavy would suddenly be very ordinary in the AL. Petco Park and weaker hitting competition magnifies his results. Not to say the White Sox couldn't use him - but Peavy in the AL is more Gil Meche than Roy Halladay.
It's too bad that the Braves can't play Toronto more often. The Phillies have some problems if Lidge is turning into the same crap pitcher he was towards the end of his career in Houston.
